A dinâmica cultural na educação de surdos: desafios e possibilidades através da educação em direitos humanos na perspectiva intercultural

Abstract

There is a diversity of cultures in contemporary society, and deaf culture is one of them. However, the presence of deaf individuals in educational environments does not necessarily imply the appreciation and recognition of their existence. In this context, the research aims to investigate the occurrence or non-occurrence of cultural dynamics between deaf and hearing individuals in the school environment of a federal institution. The research also seeks to achieve the following objectives: to comprehend deaf culture and identity in order to conceptualize deafness as a cultural difference; to identify the role of Human Rights Education (HRE) in shaping a society free from discrimination against deaf individuals; to examine the challenges and possibilities for the education of the deaf through intercultural education; and to propose methods for promoting or strengthening cultural exchange between deaf and hearing individuals, facilitated by listening to deaf students, hearing students, sign language interpreters, and a teacher from the Federal Institute of Paraíba (IFPB) – João Pessoa campus. To accomplish this, the research draws on the works of Brito (2021), Crespo (2009), and Lanna Júnior (2010) regarding the social movement of deaf individuals. This study aligns with the sociocultural perspective of deafness advocated by Sá (2002) and Gesser (2012). It is also grounded in the research of Goldfeld (1997) and Skliar (2010) concerning the state of education of the deaf in Brazil. Furthermore, it relies on the studies of Benevides (2000), Carbonari (2010), Viola (2010), and Zenaide (2007) to understand the meaning of Human Rights Education and is underpinned by Candau's (2012) intercultural studies. From a methodological standpoint, it is a qualitative research project, classified as exploratory-descriptive, given the defined research objectives, following a deductive method and comprising the following stages: literature review and fieldwork. To investigate cultural dynamics within the classroom, field research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with deaf and hearing students, teachers, and sign language interpreters from technical and higher education courses at the IFPB. The data were analyzed using the hermeneutic-dialectical method. Based on the conducted studies, it is possible to conclude that there is still much ignorance and a lack of interest in learning about deaf culture and engaging with it, leading to the isolation of deaf students. The presence of audism in the school environment was evident, as hearing students and teachers showed detachment from deaf culture. This became apparent as deaf students expressed a sense of invisibility, despite harboring hope for an improvement in their situation. Finally, sign language interpreters reported difficulties due to a lack of understanding by teachers and students regarding the interpreter's role. To promote cultural dynamics in the educational environment and contribute to the development of Human Rights Education from an intercultural perspective, we propose the implementation of HRE training, increased events celebrating deaf culture, dialogue sessions, meetings, and a revision of the curriculum of sign language courses offered by the institution.